Cigarette making machine



4 Sheets-Sheet 1 lNvENToR FRANCIS HARDING ATTORNEY F'. HARDING CIGARETTE MAKING MACHINE Aug. 2l, 1956 Filed Sept. 27, 1951 Aug. 21, 1956 l F. HARDING 2,759,482

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Patented Aug. 21, 1956 CIGARETTE MAKIN G MACHINE Francis Harding, Raleigh, N. C., assignor to American /Iachine & Foundry Company, a corporation of New ersey Application September 27, 1951, Serial No. 248,519

Claims. (Cl. ISI- 66) This invention relates to cigarette making machinery, and more particularly, to mechanism for receiving a continuous shower of tobacco at one elevation and forming it into a continuous cigarette rod at another elevation.

There are considerable advantages in the type of cigarette machine in which a stream of tobacco is fed at one level on a tape going in one direction, and is then carried around a large wheel on which the tobacco is compacted and delivered at another level going in another direction to a rod forming mechanism. Such advantages are not only compactness of the machine as a whole but also allow more time and space for the various compacting and forming operations and mechanisms of the cigarette maker.

A further object is to provide a cigarette making machine which will maintain complete control over the cigarette filler as it is forwarded to the rod former so as to avoid the formation of cigarettes with hollow spots or plugs.

A further object of this invention is to provide a device for showering tobacco onto a tape and then combining said showered tobacco with a paper tape backed up by a rod forming webbing and the elimination of transferring a tobacco stream longitudinal from one tape to another tape.

Other objects and features of the invention will appear as the description of the particular physical embodiment selected to illustrate the invention progresses. In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, like characters of reference have been applied to corresponding parts throughout the several views which make up the drawings.

Figure 1 is a partial `front elevation view of a continuous rod cigarette machine illustrating the various components of the rod forming mechanisms.

Figure 2 is a sectional end elevation view taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1 illustrating how the tobacco is showered onto an endless conveyor belt by means of a feed chute.

Figure 3 is an end elevation view of the tobacco conveying or reversing wheel taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional end elevation of the rim of the conveying wheel taken on line 4-4 of Figure l.

Figure 5 is also a fragmentary sectional end elevation view of the rim of the conveying wheel taken on line 5 5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a plan view with parts broken away of the tobacco stream compressing device taken on line 6 6 of Figure 1.

Figure 7 is a sectional end elevation View of the compressing device taken on line 7-7 Of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is also a sectional end elevation view of the compressing device taken on line 8-8 of Figure 6.

Figure 9 is another sectional end elevation View of the compressing device taken on line 9-9 of Figure 6.

Figure 10 is a plan View of the cigarette rod shaping or folding device taken on line 10-10 of Figure 1.

Figure ll is a sectional end elevation view of the rod folding device taken on line 11 of Figure 10.

Figure l2 is also a sectional end elevation view of the rod folding device taken on line 12 of Figure l0.

Figure 13 is another sectional end elevation view of the rod folding device taken on line 13-13 of Figure 13.

With reference to the accompanying drawings, the rod forming mechanisms of this invention may be said to comprise the following components, namely; a tobacco feeding or delivery mechanism F, a reversing or conveying wheel W, a tobacco compacting or compressing device C and a rod shaping or folding device S.

In the embodiment used to illustrate the invention, tobacco is showered in a manner well known in the art from an automatic tobacco feed (not shown) into a suitable chute 16 which guides said tobacco T onto a continuously moving endless conveyor belt 18. The conveyor belt 18, which is guided horizontally beneath said tobacco chute in a groove or track 20 of a bracket 22 suitably secured to the front face of the frame 24 of the cigarette machine. The conveyor belt 18 is led from the track of bracket 22 onto an annular groove 26 of the reversing or conveying wheel W and then through the tobacco compacting or compressing device C.

Upon emerging from said device, the belt is guided over suitably placed idler rollers 28, 32, 34, and 36 again onto the track 20 of bracket 22 beneath the tobacco chute 16. The belt 18 is continuously driven by means of the conveying wheel W which is mounted on a shaft 38 supported by suitable bearings in the main frame of the cigarette machine. On shaft 38 is also mounted a bevel gear 40 (Fig. l) which is driven by a bevel gear 42 fastened to a horizontal drive shaft 44 supported by suitable bearing brackets 46 secured to the main frame of the machine. Shaft 44, by means of a coupling 48, is connected to a shaft 50 protruding from a gear reduction housing 52. The gears within the housing 52 are driven by means of a pair of pulleys 54 and V belts 56 from a suitable motor or other source of power (not shown).

There is also provided a rod shaping or folding tape 64) which is continuously driven by a pulley or drum 62 and led over guide rollers 64 and 66 onto the bottom surface of an annular groove 68 of the conveying wheel W. From wheel W, said tape is guided through the compacting device C and then through the rod shaping or folding device S and onto drum 62 again.

The paper web P in this illustration is drawn from a reel R (Fig. l) and led over a number of suitably placed guide rollers 70, 72, and 74 and then over a spring mounted tension roller 76. The latter guides paper web P onto the folding tape 60 running in the groove 68 of the reversing wheel W.

The tobacco stream compacting or compressing device shown in Figures l, 6, 7, 8, and 9 consists of a bottom guide plate 78 which is supported by and mounted on a suitable bracket 80 rigidly attached to the top portion of the main frame 24 of the machine. The top surface of the bottom guide plate 78 has a track or groove 82 provided for the purpose of guiding the rod folding tape 60.

To facilitate the guiding of said ltape upon leaving the groove 68 of the conveying wheel and entering the track 82 of the guide plate 78, the end of the latter adjacent to the top portion of the wheel W is provided with a suitably shaped bridge plate 84 which is-secured to said end of guide plate 78 and projects partly into the groove 68 of said wheel. This provides a rigid and level support for the folding tape 60 and prevents the latter from wandering or climbing the track of the bottom guide plate 78. AA pair of supporting rails 86 are mounted to the top surface of bottom guide plate 78 adjacent to the outer side edges of the same. The supporting rails support a cover plate..88, which is removably held lnrplace by apair of thumb .screws-90, each-of which isheld by alockarm L92 (Fig. 8) pivotally attached to a stud 94 held by the bracket Sil. yEach arm 92 isprovided with a stop lug 96 which, when engaged with a stop pm 98, positions said arm 92 for proper locking operation. Pins 98 are -held'by and project vertically from the bracket 80. The lower-,side of cover plate dit? is also provided witha track or groove 168 to provide means for guiding the conveyor belt 18 as it emerges from the groove 26 of the conveycrwheel W.

For better and more positive guidanceythe end of said covery pla-teA adjacent to the top of the wheel extends partly into the groove 26 of said wheel. A pair of coi ipacting or compressor ybars 1t2are adjustably mounted onthe top surface of the bottom guide plate 78 and adjacent to the inner side edges of supporting rails 803. The compressor' bars 102 yare so arranged as to form a wedgeshaped funnel D (Fig. 6) and act asside compactors for the tobacco ribbon or :stream B being conveyed through the compactor device. To assure a smooth and trouble free entrance of said tobacco stream into the Wedgeshaped funnel D, one end of each compressor bar 102 is provided with a narrow tongue 1114, which projects into the groove 68 of the conveyor wheel W.

The amount or degree of compaction of the bars 192 may be regulated by a pair of adjusting screws 166, each of which is threaded through one of the supporting rails S6 and its free projecting end contacts the outer side edge of one of the compressor bars 102. By turning the adjusting screws 1M clockwise or counterclocltwise, the opening at the end of wedge-shaped funnel D adjacent the shaping or folding device S may be narrowed or widened in accordance with the campaction desired.

The rod shaping or folding device S (Figs. l, l), ll, 12, and 13) consists of a supporting plate 118 held by a pair `of suitable brackets 112 secured to the top portion of the main frame ,24 of the cigarette machine. A suitably shaped bottom folder plate 114 which runs the full length of the folding device is inserted into the central portion and ush With the top surface of plate 119. The end of folder plate 114 adjacent to the compacting device C is provided with a pair of rigidly mounted, spaced guide bars .116 between which is suspended, and adjustably and removably mounted, a conventional folder tongue 118 such as shown and described in Letters Patentf2,23'5,853, issued March 25, 1941, to E. D. Smith.

T his type of folder tongue 118 is `suspended on three points by means of three adjustable studs 12d projecting vertically downward from suitable lugs 122 of said tongue and resting on a pair of supporting bars 124 secured by means of screws 1.26 to guide bars 116. Tongue 118 is held in place in a clamplike fashion by means of a thu-mb screw 128 (Figs. l0 and ll) held by a lock arm 138 pivotally mounted to a stud 132 held by one of the supporting bars 124. For the purpose of locating arm 130 when reaching the proper locking position, the latter is provided with a stop lug 134 which checks the position of said arm when engaging with a stop pin 136 (Fig. 10) projecting vertically vfrom out of the supporting bars 124. While vertical adjustment `of the setting ofthe tongue may be made by turning screws 12), a horizontal adjustment of said tonguefisprovided :by means of'a pair Yof adjusting vscrews.138 and yathurnb lock screw Mil.

Following the rod former tongue 11S is a folder plate 142 which lies in what is generally termed the paster section of the red folder. Opposite said folder plate 142 is located a guidejplate 144. Folder plate 142 and guide plate 144 are botlrmounted on the top surface of the supporting platelt). vandpartly` overlap the bottom folder plate `114. PIhe folder plate 142, in conjunction with the bottom folder plate, folds and hold-s the tape 6i) and the paper web P and consequently the tobacco stream B in a cylindrical rod form (Fig. l2), while plate 144 guides and supports the upstanding portion of the tape ed and paper web P so that a conventional rotating paste wheel of a suitable paster (not shown) can apply a line of paste on the upstanding edge of the paper web P.

Since this invention yuses afolding tape ofthe same width as the paper web P, a tape retaining or separating plate 14e engages with the 11p-standing edge of-said'tape a separates the samefrom'the 'opstanding-edge of the paper web P (Fig. l2) upon approaching the paste wheel (not shown) and thus prevents any particles of paste from coming in contact with the edge of the folding tape The tape retaining'plate `146`isfnrounted on the top surface of guide plate 144 by means of screw 148 and provided with a slot 156 to permit adjusting. After a line of paste is applied tothe upper edge of the ,upstanding portion of the paper web P, the lattervand the upstandportion of tape d@ are permitted to engage again and both are folded over the already folded rod portion mentioned heretofore by means of a folder plate 155.'. which forms the continuation of :guide plate 144.

ln order Lo fold the upstandingpasted portion of the paper web onto the already folded portion to form the seam of the cigarette rod,l it -is essential to rst guide away that edge or portion of the tape .dil which engaged or supported said folded portion of thejpaperweb. Therefore, before forming the above-mentioned seam, that portieri of the tape is guided through a slot 154 (Fig. l0) and away from the cigarette rod so that it now becomes the upstanding portion of the tape while the former upstanding portion is folded together with the pasted position onto the formed rod and thereby supports the seam with added pressure and no friction while the rod passes through the plate 152 (Fig. 13).

Towards the end -of plate 152, the folding portion of the latter is cut back again which permits the juste-'folded portion of the tape to resume its former upright position when reaching an ironing plate 156 secured to the top surface of plate The tape e@ now travels with both side edges in upright position supported by guide rail-s and 162 and forming a lJ-shaped trough carrying the scaled cigarette rod with the ironing bar `158 of plate 156 bearing against the seam of saidrod. Upon leaving the bottom folder plate 114, the tape 69 resumes its natural dat position and engages with dru1n62 while the finished cigarette rod Z enters a conventional .cutoff mechanism (not shown) which cuts the individual cigarettes from said rod.

The tape guide slot 154 mentioned above is formed in the rear portieri of folder plate-142. The folder plate 1.52 and ironing section is of similar construction as the one shown in Letters Patent 2,357,785, granted September 5, 1944, to I. t/."i/arren, and is heldin place by means of lock arm 166 carrying a thumb screw 168. Ar-m M5 is pivotally mounted on a stud 170 held by a suitable bracket 172 secured to supporting plate 110. The guide rails 1.60 and 162 are also mounted onjplatc 1i@ by means of screws 174 and are provided with slots 176 and 178, respectively, for adjustability.

As mentioned heretofore, the tobacco T is showered by an automatic tobacco feed ontothe conveyor beltlS and this ribbon or stream of tobacco B is carried by said belt into the reversing wheel W where thetop surface of said tobacco stream B engages with the paper web-P which is Abacked by the vfolding tape 60 which i-s .of `the same width as said paper web. The tobacco stream enters at the lowest portion of the conveying Wheel W and leaves the same at its highest point, thus elevating the tobacco stream from one level to another withno disturbance whatsoever since it is rmly held lbetween the conveyor belt 18 and the paper `web P and folding tape 6d. -Since the center portion of the belt 18 Vhas a tendency to enter into the groove 68 of wheel W, it

elects a slight compression upon the tobacco stream it carries (Fig. 4).

As shown in the accompanying drawing, the tobacco stream B travels only 180 degrees with the reversing wheel W which causes the tobacco stream, the top surface of which is met by the paper web when entering the wheel, to be placed on top of said paper web when leaving said wheel. The back of the paper web P, by means of a folding tape of equal width while traveling with the wheel and through the compressing and folding devices, assures a positive control of said paper web and the tobacco deposited thereon at all times, and prevents stretching and breaking of the same and avoids disruption of the cigarette filler carried thereon.

The invention above described may be varied in construction within the scope of the claims, for the particular device selected to illustrate the invention is but one of many possible embodiments of the same. The invention, therefore, is not to be restricted to the precise details of the structure shovm and described.

What is claimed is:

1. A cigarette making machine comprising a source of showered cigarette tobacco, an endless collecting tape traveling below said shower to collect said showered tobacco in the form of a stream, a reversing wheel having a circumferential channel formed therein for confining said stream of tobacco on said collecting tape, guides formed on said reversing wheel against which said collecting tape rests acting to confine tobacco in said circumferential channel, means for leading a paper tape and folder webbing around the ins-ide of said channel preliminary to the tobacco stream being introduced into said channel, means for rotating said reversing wheel to turn said stream upside down onto said paper tape by moving it while held between said collecting tape and folder webbing and the paper webbing around the reversing wheel, and a rod former paster and ironer positioned adjacent the side of said reversing wheel where said tapes and paper webbing leave the reversing wheel to form said showered tobacco and paper tape into a continuous cigarette rod while being held by said paper and folder webbing.

2. In a cigarette making machine wherein tobacco is showered at one elevation and formed into a cigarette rod at a higher elevation, a reversing wheel, an endless web having a horizontal tobacco collecting run and a curved run traveling around said reversing wheel, a tobacco receiving channel formed along the periphery of said reversing wheel which is of a smaller width than the width of said collecting tape, a folder tape introduced into said channel at a point in advance of that where the first mentioned web engages with the reversing wheel and maintained in contact with the bottom of said channel as it travels with the reversing wheel for approximately 180 degrees, a rod forming mechanism, a paper tape introduced into said channel and superimposed adjacent said folder tape for travel therewith around the reversing wheel and through the rod forming mechanism, said folder tape being of a width at least as wide as said paper tape and means for showering tobacco onto said collect ing web and carrying it around said reversing wheel and through said rod forming mechanism to form said stream of tobacco into -a cigarette rod, said paper tape and folder tape being introduced into said channel prior to the introduction of the tobacco stream into said channel.

3. rThe method of manufacturing cigarettes which comprises feeding tobacco at one elevation, collecting said tobacco by means of a collecting tape, and moving said tobacco stream to a higher elevation around a reversing wheel between a paper tape and said collecting tape, guiding said paper tape onto the reversing Wheel a-t a point prior to where the tobacco stream is brought into coacting relationship with the reversing wheel, and backing said paper web with a fabric web to support the paper web prior to the point where the tobacco stream is introduced into said reversing wheel, as it travels around the reversing wheel with the tobacco stream between the paper web and the fabric and supporting said paper tape by said backing fabric web when it passes through the compression and shaping portions of the machine.

4. A continuous rod ycigarette making machine of the type employing a reversing wheel wherein tobacco is showered at one elevation onto a collecting7 web and formed into a cigarette rod at an upper elevation comprising, a rst fabric web traveling in an endless path a portion of which extends under a chute showering tobacco onto the collecting web and a portion of which extends approximately degrees around the periphery of the reversing wheel, a channel formed in the periphery of the reversing wheel having flanges against which said fabric web rests while traveling thereabout to confine the collected filler stream in said channel, a second endless folder web introduced in the bottom of said channel at a point in advance of where the first mentioned web comes in contact with the reversing wheel, and a paper tape introduced into said channel into contact with said second folder web and between the first and second webs, said paper web being of a width no wider than said webs, a shower for delivering a continuous stream of tobacco constituting a filler onto said first collecting web, a drive mechanism for advancing said iirst web and the tobacco contained thereon into contact with the channel formed on said reversing wheel so as to place the tobacco between lthe paper backed up by said folder web and said collecting web, and a rod compacting and forming device positioned at the upper delivery end of said reversing wheel through which said paper tape and said folder web are advanced for forming said filler and paper tape into a continuous cigarette rod.

5. In a cigarette making machine of the type wherein showered tobacco is collected in the form of a stream at one elevation and made into a cigarette rod at another elevation, compri-sing a reversing wheel, anges formed on the periphery thereof to form a channel in between the anges, a longitudinally extending tobacco chute, the lower end of which has a breadth smaller than the width of said channel, a pair of thin spaced guides of substantially the same height as said channel riding against the sides of said channel to push tobacco away from the sides thereof when the filler arrives at the second elevation, a webbing having a width narrower than said channel to permit the webbing to be held taut against the bottom of the channel formed in the reversing wheel, a tongue, a folder section, a pasting section, and an ironing section, means for guiding said paper and webbing around the inside of said channel of said reversing wheel preliminary to the tobacco streams being introduced into said channel and through said tongue, folder, pasting, and ironing sections to form the paper and ller tobacco carried thereby into a continuous cigarette rod, a second web of a width suicient to cover said flanges and channel, means for moving said second web along the length of said chute to collect said showered `tobacco in a continuous stream and then into contact with said anges to deposit the tobacco in said channel, and tensioning means for maintaining sa-id web suciently taut to cause it to hold lthe ller tobacco Aagainst the opposing paper tape and web while traveling around said reversing wheel.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 302,521 Pollard July 22, 1884 472,101 Bohls Apr. 5, 1892 1,040,653 De Brul Oct. 8, 1912 2,206,699 Herrmann July 2, 1940 2,237,033 Herrmann Apr. 1, 1941 2,684,678 Walter et a1. July 27, 1954 

